TRACE ELEMENTS IN MEDICINE (MOSCOW)
2016, 17(1): 10-18
ORIGINAL PAPERS

CONTENT OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS IN HAIR OF MOSCOW CHILDREN: RELATION TO ILLNESS (1995-2004)

A.V. Skalny 1,2, M.G. Skalnaya 3, V.A. Demidov 3, A.R. Grabeklis 1,4, E.S. Berezkina 1,4, Yu.N. Lobanova 3, E.P. Serebryansky 3

1 Russian Society for Trace Elements in Medicine, Zemlyanoy Val str. 46, Moscow, 105064, Russia
2 All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Grina str. 7/1, Moscow, 117216, Russia
3 ANO Centre for Biotic Medicine, Zemlyanoy Val str. 46, Moscow, 105064, Russia
4 P.G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya str. 14, Yaroslavl, 150000, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2016-17-1-10-18 

ABSTRACT. Children is a special part of population, whose most important feature is susceptibility and sensitivity to adverse environmental factors. In frame of a work on searching biomarkers of the risk of ecologically related diseases, 1500 children of 1–6 years old residing in the Moscow city were investigated. The investigation included an interview with filling of a questionnaire form, medical examination and quantitative determination of 24 chemical elements in hair (Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Se, Si, Zn, Al, As, Be, Cd, Hg, Li, Ni, Pb, Sn, Ti, V) by the methods of atomic emission and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled argon plasma (ICP-AES, ICP-MS). It was found that healthy children (health group I) differ from children with health disorders by lower hair levels of toxic chemical elements (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Al, Sn) and elevated levels of essential chemical elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, Zn). In children of health group II compared with children from the group I a significant decrease in Ca, Fe, Mg accompanied by increased Cd, Pb, as well as Co, K, Na and Se were found. Children of health group III characterized by increased hair content of 50% of the studied elements: Pb, As, Cd, Hg, Al, Sn, Co, K, Se, Mn, Na, Si, on the background of pronounced Fe, Zn deficiency (p < 0.01). Further deterioration of health (health group IV) was accompanied by a clear tendency towards the increase of the hair content of Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, Al, Sn, K, Na, Se, together with the developed zinc deficiency (p < 0.01). An in-depth examination of children with chronic diseases showed that the maximum alterations in hair levels of chemical elements are typical of children with secondary immunodeficiency (frequently ill children), atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, metabolic diseases (diabetes), whereas the «elemental portrait» of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (chronic gastroduodenitis) and urogenital system (chronic pyelonephritis, cystitis) are not so much different from the average values.

KEYWORDS: macroelements, traceelements, children, diseases, hair analysis.